About sustainable development

The expression sustainable development, or “développement durable” in
French, appeared for the first time in 1980 in World Conservation Strategy,
published by The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It became better known a few
years later in the wake of the 1987 release of Our Common Future (also
called Brundtland
Report, named after the commission’s chair Gro Harlem Brundtland) by the
World Commission on Environment and Development (now the Brundtland
Commission). Today’s recognized definition is taken from the report:
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

In its
Sustainable Development Act, Québec adopted a definition of sustainable
development that places the emphasis on method with particular insistence on
a significant level of sustainability: our ability to cross over the
disciplinary boundaries and appreciate our actions overall. In Québec,
“sustainable development means development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs. Sustainable development is based on a long-term approach which
takes into account the inextricable nature of the environmental, social and
economic dimensions of development activities.”

Objectives

Rethinking the relationships humans have with each other and with nature
is an aspiration that a growing number of men and women share. It is a
critical look at a development mode that all too often damages the
environment and relegates the majority of humanity to poverty. Sustainable
development stems from the idea that the status quo is no longer possible,
that the shortcomings of a development model based solely on economic growth
must be remedied by reconsidering our methods and taking new priorities into
account. We must therefore:

Maintain environmental integrity to ensure the health and security
of human communities and life-sustaining ecosystems.

Ensure social equity to enable the complete fulfillment of all men
and women, development of communities and respect for diversity.

Aim for economic efficiency to create an innovative and prosperous
economy that is ecologically and socially responsible.